Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would like to second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by Senator Paschal Mooney. The points raised by Senator Norris are very important and it is the first I have heard of a proposed wage cut. I will be alerting our representatives on the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. The matter should be resolved because it seems strange that this should be proposed for people who are doing an extraordinarily good job. I hope the Commission will ensure it does not happen.

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy James Reilly, can be justly proud of having brought forward his Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014, which has been signed into law today by President Michael D. Higgins. However, the Bill does not exempt the packaging of cigar products, which are manufactured in Ballaghaderreen, meaning that some 50 jobs are in jeopardy. I have been involved with the plant in Ballaghaderreen for a considerable time and I can say that cigars are not a gateway drug for smoking. The Minister has followed the lead of Deputy Micheál Martin who, on 29 March ten years ago, brought in the ban on smoking in public places. He led not only Ireland but the world in this regard and has single-handedly saved thousands of lives at home and abroad. We owe him a great debt of gratitude. I commend the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs for following in the footsteps and the leadership of Deputy Micheál Martin but the cigar plant is very important in Roscommon. The Minister closed the accident and emergency unit in Roscommon hospital so he seems to have a death wish as regards Roscommon. I am surprised Senator John Kelly and others have not persuaded the Minister to exempt cigar smoking from the standardised packaging rules, as is the case in Britain. Now we must compete with British companies in Northern Ireland. It might not be politically correct to be talking about this because nowadays we are talking about banning everything, but the loss of 50 jobs in Ballaghaderreen will have major consequences for Roscommon. I believe the Minister should review the situation. The Bill will not come into effect for another two years and I do not think he is aware of the consequences of his actions. I call on the Taoiseach, who has driven through Ballaghaderreen every day of his life since 1975 and is well aware of the plant, to intervene with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in this issue. The Minister has cost lives by closing the accident and emergency unit and now he is costing jobs in Ballaghaderreen.